Do the Holidays have your Body in Reverse, Park or Drive?

So, you’re already thinking about what you are going to do in 2012 to get fit. You may have even asked for a new fitness toy for Christmas to help you reach your New Year goals – but what are you doing now?

Many people are gobbling up more Christmas treats than turkey and trading workouts for shopping this time of year, sabotaging your New Year’s goals already. If you treat your goal as a destination, you’ll realize how this makes no sense.

Compare your fitness journey to a road trip. If you plan to go to California, you don’t put your car in reverse, nor do you drive in the opposite direction. You put your car in park waiting to leave or you start heading toward your destination. If you get off course, you’ll just have more ground to cover, which will mean it will take you even longer to reach your destination.

Here’s the ugly truth: Going off your diet, or blowing off workouts, is rarely putting the body in “park” (although we like to think of it like that) – but it’s more like putting it in reverse. We often treat going “off our diet” as if we get some kind of hall pass where the calories don’t count and no damage is done. Unfortunately they do count and there is damage done – and in this case, they count against you and your New Year’s Resolutions.

Instead of completely blowing it this Holiday season, practice moderation and keep your body moving in the right direction (even if it’s at a snail’s pace). Treat yourself to some of the wonderful Holiday cookies, but be conscience of the calories and how they could affect your plans for January if you overdo it.

Of course you may have to skip a workout here and there during this busy season, so give yourself a little break. Try to maintain a light schedule to preserve your current progress so you at least maintain your progress you’ve already made.

If you can maintain a healthy balance during the Holidays, you’ll be ready to throw that bad-boy body of yours in drive without having to retrace your tracks come January.